Epic Lies (Epic Fail Book 2)

by Trudy Stiles

  “But I love–I loved you.”

  I laugh, “You lied to me, Troy. You used those words as a weapon to steal my heart and get in my pants. You didn’t love me. How on Earth could someone in love do what you did to me? The sad thing is I believed your lie. I believed you and let you steal from me. No more, Troy. No more.”

  “I wish I could take it back,” he says softly, but I don’t believe him.

  “You got what you wanted and made me feel like shit every single day since. You knew exactly what you were doing.”

  “I don’t know what to say…”

  “Really? You’ve said so much already. You’ve belittled me. You’ve called me ugly, skank, whore…shall I go on? For once, I’m glad you’re speechless because from this moment on, I will never let your words affect me ever again. You’ve taught me so much, Troy. I’ll never trust you or anyone like you ever again.”

  “But…”

  “Just stop. Please. And seriously, lose my number. Now.” I end the call and immediately drop to my floor. The sobs don’t come right away, but when they do, I let loose.

  Months of embarrassment, shame, and anguish pour from my soul. I’m back on that blanket, in the warm August air, naked and ashamed. My youth was lost that night, stolen from me. My innocence gone. My tears flow with relief that this may finally be over. Troy has no control over me. No power over me. I can’t let that moment dictate my future. I’m in control now. I’ve won in a convoluted way. Why did I wait so long to do this?

  My phone vibrates, and his name pops up again. This time I block him. Forever.

  I silently vow to never let this happen again.

  One lie started this, but the truth ends it now.

  Dax

  Present

  I PUMP MY ARMS as I widen my stride. My feet hit the pavement harder than I want. I’m going to seriously pay for this workout later, my aching joints already throbbing. My breathing becomes labored as I enter my neighborhood and see the hill that leads to my private driveway. FitBit tells me I’ve already run four miles. I tap my iPhone, and the music becomes louder in my ears, engulfing my senses. AWOLNATION’s ‘Jump on My Shoulders’ reverberates in my head as it drowns out my labored breathing. I’m going to make this hill my bitch.

  The loud music motivates me through the pain. A vision of Giselle’s nervous smile replays in my brain, reminding me that a complete stranger literally saved my life the other day. A stranger that I’ve been unable to get out of every waking thought. A beautiful, yet familiar stranger. I can’t shake that feeling I know her from somewhere.

  I reach the top of the hill as a tow truck backs out of my driveway and speeds off past me, the driver smirking. As soon as I reach the base of the driveway, I realize exactly why.

  My brand new motorcycle is lying in the middle of it in a mangled heap. What the fuck?

  When I called the state police and the department of transportation yesterday, informing them of the accident, they assured me they would remove the bike, and I’d never see it again. I never wanted to see it again. But here it is now, right smack in the middle of my fucking driveway.

  I bend over and place my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. Sweat is dripping over my brows and down my face.

  What the hell am I going to do with this mess?

  My legs are burning, and I need to cool down and stretch, but all I feel is rage. FitBit buzzes on my wrist, indicating that I just surpassed twenty thousand steps today. My heart is pounding in my chest, and I just want to pick up the bike and chuck it into the street.

  I kick the tire as I walk past it, and immediately regret my act of frustration as my toes go numb. Fuck!

  After stretching and cooling down as best as I can, I walk through my house, into the kitchen, and grab a bottle of water. I drink half of it in one gulp when the doorbell rings.

  “Coming!” I yell, but the bell rings again. Seriously?

  I jog toward the front of the house and quickly pull the door open. I’m about to unleash on the visitor when I see Alex’s smiling face.

  “Collecting weird sculptures?” he asks sarcastically as he pushes past me. My mouth hangs open, unable to form a coherent response, anger still coursing through my veins.

  He makes himself comfortable at the bar in my kitchen, the smile never leaving his face.

  “What do you think?” I retort. He knows what happened to me the other day and why I couldn’t make it to Garrett’s.

  “Lighten up, dude. You know I’m just kidding, right?”

  “Whatever,” I say and grab another bottle of water. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

  “Obviously.”

  I shake my head and chug the rest of the water. He better have a good reason to be here, because I’m not in the mood for entertaining.

  “Are you hungry?” I ask him as I open the door to my empty refrigerator.

  “I can always eat,” he replies.

  “Well, I’ve got nothing here.” I slam the door shut, just for effect.

  I sit down at the other end of the bar and stare at him. Maybe uncomfortable silence will make him want to leave. And I’ve got a fucking mess in my driveway I need to do something about.

  “I’m really fucking happy you’re alive,” he says, his smirk replaced by genuine concern. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”

  I’ve been trying not to think about what would have happened if I was crushed to death by the speeding fire trucks. I’ve had a couple of mini panic attacks over the past two days. I truly have to believe that they would have stopped just in time. They would have seen me. Right?

  “Thanks,” I respond.

  “I’m serious, Dax. I know I don’t say it enough, but you’re my brother, and I love you, man. I’m sick over this, wondering what would have happened to all of us if you weren’t around.”

  “Stop over-reacting. I’m totally over it. I wasn’t on the bike and was sitting safely in a car.”

  “You should pay off that person’s mortgage or something. Do something really special for him for saving your life the way he did,” Alex says excitedly. He’s full of ideas suddenly.

  I smile. “It wasn’t a ‘he’ it was a ‘she’ and I think she may feel weird if I started snooping around, trying to find out everything about her so I can pay off her debts.”

  “A she?” He’s grinning now. “You spent hours trapped in a car during a crazy storm with ‘a she’ and you don’t tell me about it?”

  “Are you being serious right now?” My cheeks heat up. “One minute, you want me to pay off this woman’s debt, and then you want to know if I hit on her?”

  “I didn’t say that,” he says defensively. “You just conveniently left out the part about your savior being a woman.”

  “You didn’t ask. Besides, I’m not out there trolling for another relationship right now, if you haven’t noticed.” And I have no intention of it.

  “Are you still not over what happened with Natalia?”

  “Don’t fucking bring her name up again, Alex.” I clench my fists and try to push her out of my mind. “In fact, don’t bring up me and any other woman for the foreseeable future. I’m done with chicks. I’m done with relationships. I’m done with constantly being lied to.” I know I sound like a brooding baby, but fuck, I can’t deal with this anymore.

  “Whoa. Easy. Sorry I brought it up.” He looks at me apologetically and lowers his head. “I just want you to be happy. You deserve it.”

  “I am happy. Look around you. I have the house I’ve always wanted, hidden away in the suburbs. I’m the drummer for the number one rock band in the country. I’m even planning a vacation for next month.” Two truths and a lie.

  Alex raises his brow. “A vacation? Really?” he asks in disbelief.

  “Yes, a vacation.”

  “Where are you going?” he quickly asks, trying to force me to admit that I’m lying.

  “Mexico.” Take that.

  Shit.

  �
��Really? Where in Mexico?” Alex presses.

  “That place where you and Tabby went over the winter.”

  “Playa del Carmen?” he asks.

  “Yes. There.”

  “I would think a single guy like you would go someplace more happening, like Cozumel or Cancun. Where we stayed was mostly couples.”

  Shit.

  “Well, that’s where I’m going.” Now I’m determined to make this happen. I don’t give a shit if he stayed in a place that was for couples. I’ll book somewhere better. More exclusive. I’ll show him.

  “Good for you. You could use a vacation.” He pauses and laughs. “Did Garrett approve your time off?”

  Shit.

  Garrett’s going to lose his mind when I tell him that I’m taking an impromptu vacation after we just finished laying all of our tracks for our new album. He’s going to want to play some local places to test our songs and get our playlist ready for our tour in a few months.

  “I haven’t told Garrett yet.” Or my travel agent.

  “Good luck with that!” Alex laughs, slapping his hand on the counter.

  “He’ll be fine. I’ll break it to him gently.”

  “I’m serious when I say you should do something for that girl who saved your life. Think about it.”

  “What the hell can I do?”

  “Find out what you can about her. Pay off her car. Her house. Something.”

  “Why does it have to be about money?” I ask.

  “What would you suggest? Send her flowers? Candy? A card? Dude, she saved your life. It’s got to be big, and you can afford big.”

  It’s a bit presumptuous to think she needs money. I don’t know a thing about her, other than her name and where she lives.

  “I’ll think about it,” I say reluctantly.

  “Good, man,” Alex says.

  He stands up, walks over to where I’m sitting, and suddenly pulls me into a bro hug. “I’m really glad you’re alive. We all are.” He quickly releases me and begins to brush off the front of his shirt. “Holy shit, you’re a sweaty mess.”

  “I didn’t ask for a hug, bro. And that’s what you get for rubbing your body against someone who just got back from running.”

  “I gotta take off. Glad we had this little chat,” he says and swipes his keys from the counter.

  He’s out the door before I know it.

  “Yeah, me too, bro,” I say into the empty foyer.

  Alex is my brother, regardless of whose blood he has coursing through his veins. We’ve been through a lot together, and his life wouldn’t be what it is today if my family didn’t give him a second chance at life. We’re connected. Bonded.

  And I just lied to my best friend. My brother.

  I shake my head and laugh.

  I guess I need to book a trip to Mexico and figure out something nice to do for Giselle.

  Priorities.

  Giselle

  Present

  STEAMING HOT WATER pounds into my skull, cascading down my aching body. I just finished the longest run of my life–six miles. It was painful and exhilarating at the same time. Everything hurts, so I let the heat from the water loosen my muscles. The pain feels good, though. It makes me realize how hard I’m working, how far I’m pushing my body. I’m training for a half-marathon in a few months, and I’m finally seeing positive results in my endurance and stamina.

  I’m not sure how I’m going to hold up tonight, though. Mia’s made plans for us to go bar hopping, and I haven’t done this in a while. I actually can’t remember the last time we went out. Our nights usually consist of movies, snacks, and drinks at home. The thought of finding something to wear, other than pajamas, is daunting. I dry off, and slip into a loose t-shirt, and walk over to the chair in the corner of my room. I pick up a pair of jeans and immediately sniff them. They seem fresh enough, I think I’ve only worn them three times since I washed them last week, so they should be good and comfy to wear out tonight. I poke my finger through the hole near the knee and smile. These are the same pair I wore last Friday, when I picked up a complete stranger on my way home. I smell them again, almost expecting the scent of a fresh rain storm. Or Dax.

  After I finish dressing, I dry my long hair and let it fall into a wavy, but controlled mess. I brush a light coating of mascara onto my eyelashes and a little bit of strawberry Chapstick on my lips. Ready to go.

  Mia is already downstairs waiting for me. “It’s about time,” she huffs. I glance at the clock; it’s only seven-fifteen.

  “What’s the rush?” I ask.

  “I’m starving!” she yells and grabs her clutch from my counter. “And Uber has been outside for the past ten minutes.” She walks past me and opens the door. “Do you have your keys?” she asks.

  I rarely carry a purse or a bag, so I toss my house key to her to keep for me. My driver’s license and ATM card are both tucked into my back pocket, and I have a few twenty-dollar bills in my front. “I’m ready,” I say, patting my pockets and smile at my best friend, who’s trying to remain calm at my tardiness.

  Dottie, our favorite driver, is waving at us as we walk out of my house. She’s an Uber driver, moonlighting on the side of her regular job at a diner in Philly. She prefers the flexibility of driving people around since she has a few kids at home and a very busy husband. Yes, we know her well. We request her every single time we know we’ll be out drinking. We also love her stories from the city and the diner she’s worked at for the last decade.

  “Girls! So great seeing you again. What have you all been up to?” she asks enthusiastically. Her smile is genuine and always warms my heart.

  “Giselle’s been so boring lately. All she wants to do is stay home and watch movies,” Mia jokes. I huff.

  “Well, it’s a gorgeous night to be out on the town. Where’s our first stop?” she asks as she shifts the car into drive, slowly pulling away from my townhouse.

  “Villanova, The Lounge on North Spring,” Mia says.

  “We’re going near campus? On a Friday night? How old are we?” I ask. We tend to avoid any bars near the university, so I’m surprised by her choice.

  “Oh, hush. We’re going to have a blast.”

  “Mia, we have both been out of school too long to be going to a college bar. Seriously.”

  Dottie giggles from the front seat. “Didn’t I take you two there a few months ago?”

  “No,” I say and turn to Mia. We haven’t been there in a long time.

  “Not recently, but I may know someone who works there,” Mia says slyly. I smack her leg.

  “What? Who?”

  “Remember that guy in Starbucks last week? Well, he’s a bartender at The Lounge, and I told him I may stop by this weekend to say ‘Hi.’” She smiles and looks nervous.

  No wonder she’s been acting so funny all week. I didn’t think she really spoke to him, but then again, I was in my own world that day.

  “Oh,” I say.

  “Sounds like someone has a crush.” Dottie giggles again and turns toward Villanova.

  “Hey, I barely know the guy. But I have to see where this might go, right? And besides, did you see him? Holy. Hotness.”

  “I wasn’t really looking,” I admit. “Do you even know his name?”

  “No,” she answers quickly. “But I plan to find out tonight.”

  “Does that mean I’ll be coming home alone?” I smirk.

  “No! God, I’m not like that!”

  “Right, you never leave a bar for a one-time fling,” I say sarcastically. If I had a dollar for each time…

  “Stop judging me. He’s cute. I mean hot. And he seems super nice.”

  “Whatever. Dottie, you’re going to be busy tonight with the two of us apparently. I hope you have a sitter for your kids.”

  “My husband is home all weekend for the first time in months, so I’m at your complete disposal. Oooh, this is going to be fun!” she chirps. “What about you, Giselle? Anyone special?”

  Our Uber driver is wa
y too invested in our love lives. Or in my case, lack thereof.

  “Nope,” I say.

  Before we know it, Dottie’s pulling up in front of The Lounge. There’s a huge, shiny, black SUV with a trailer attached to the back, taking up at least three parking spaces. Two guys in black t-shirts and jeans are unloading equipment from the back. “There’s a band here tonight?” I ask, annoyed. So much for a quiet dinner and drinks with my best friend.

  Mia’s surprised. “I had no idea.”

  “Sure you didn’t.” I turn to Dottie, “I’ll text you when we’re ready to leave. I have a feeling it will be soon.”

  “C’mon, Giselle. Stop being such a party pooper. We haven’t seen a band play live in so long, this is going to be fun. I promise.”

  “Have a great time, girls! I’m going to spend some time in Barnes & Noble. I have a list of books my girls want to read, so I think I’ll use this time to do a little shopping and browse a little for myself.” Mia and I slide out of the car just in time for one of the roadies to practically run us over with a hand truck that has several amplifiers piled on it.

  “Bye!” we say in unison, and Dottie drives off.

  “I have a feeling you’re going to owe me after tonight,” I say and grab her hand. We walk into the bar, and besides the crew setting up in front, it’s practically empty.

  “Looks like we have the place to ourselves,” she says and walks toward the hostess.

  We’re seated in a booth in the far corner of the room, and she immediately looks toward the bar. “He doesn’t seem to be here yet.”

  “Relax. If he told you he was working tonight, he’ll be here.”

  Our waitress arrives and places coasters in front of us. “Hello, ladies. What can I get you to drink?”

  Mia strains her neck and looks toward the bar again. “What’s on tap?” she asks. She never drinks beer.

  The waitress rattles off a dozen micro-brews that neither of us have ever heard of while Mia keeps watch for Starbucks Guy.